Vaccinium

The genus Blueberry (Vaccinium) includes about 350 species of evergreen and deciduous erect and creeping shrubs, including blueberries and lingonberries. Leaves alternate, often pubescent, on short petioles. The flowers are small, solitary or in racemes. The fruit is an edible berry with many seeds. Bilberry corymbosum (Vaccinium corymbosum) is a deciduous resistant species that is often used as an ornamental shrub. The leaves are oval-elliptical, bright green, in autumn they acquire a bright color: from yellow-bronze to bright red. The flowers are white or pale pink, collected in a brush, bloom in May-June. The fruits are round, edible, blackish-blue, covered with a light waxy layer of lighter color. Common blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus ) is a small shrub with a height of 15-40 cm with foliage falling in winter. The leaves are elliptical, finely serrated along the edge, bright green, glossy, and turn purple or bronze-yellow in autumn. The rhizome is long, creeping, branching. The flowers are single, pitcher-shaped globular greenish with a pink tint, drooping, blooming in May-June. The fruits are round, edible, black with a bluish coating and reddish flesh. Monetchat blueberry (V. nummularia) is a beautiful evergreen species, less stable than the previous ones, dwarf, with pubescent shoots and small leathery dark green glossy leaves. The flowers are small, pinkish-red, cylindrical, collected in apical brushes, bloom in June. In their place, black round edible berries are formed. Lingonberry (V. vitis-idaea) is an evergreen shrub 2.5-20 cm tall with elliptical leathery shiny dark green leaves. The flowers are bell-shaped, white or pale pink, collected in dense apical racemes, and open in June. In their place, fruits are formed-bright red spherical edible berries with a pleasant sour taste. Lingonberry is widely used as a medicinal product. Blueberry (V. uliginosum) - a shrub 0.5-1.0 m high; leaves obovate, light green above, bluish below, falling in winter. Pitcher-shaped white flowers. The berries are bluish with a bluish coating and greenish flesh.

The genus Blueberry (Vaccinium) includes about 350 species of evergreen and deciduous erect and creeping shrubs, including blueberries and lingonberries. Leaves alternate, often pubescent, on short petioles. The flowers are small, solitary or in racemes. The fruit is an edible berry with many seeds.

Bilberry corymbosum (Vaccinium corymbosum) is a deciduous resistant species that is often used as an ornamental shrub. The leaves are oval-elliptical, bright green, in autumn they acquire a bright color: from yellow-bronze to bright red. The flowers are white or pale pink, collected in a brush, bloom in May-June. The fruits are round, edible, blackish-blue, covered with a light waxy layer of lighter color.

Common blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus ) is a small shrub with a height of 15-40 cm with foliage falling in winter. The leaves are elliptical, finely serrated along the edge, bright green, glossy, and turn purple or bronze-yellow in autumn. The rhizome is long, creeping, branching. The flowers are single, pitcher-shaped globular greenish with a pink tint, drooping, blooming in May-June. The fruits are round, edible, black with a bluish coating and reddish flesh.

Monetchat blueberry (V. nummularia) is a beautiful evergreen species, less stable than the previous ones, dwarf, with pubescent shoots and small leathery dark green glossy leaves. The flowers are small, pinkish-red, cylindrical, collected in apical brushes, bloom in June. In their place, black round edible berries are formed.

Lingonberry (V. vitis-idaea) is an evergreen shrub 2.5-20 cm tall with elliptical leathery shiny dark green leaves. The flowers are bell-shaped, white or pale pink, collected in dense apical racemes, and open in June. In their place, fruits are formed-bright red spherical edible berries with a pleasant sour taste. Lingonberry is widely used as a medicinal product.

Blueberry (V. uliginosum) - a shrub 0.5-1.0 m high; leaves obovate, light green above, bluish below, falling in winter. Pitcher-shaped white flowers. The berries are bluish with a bluish coating and greenish flesh.

Cultivation

Usually these plants are grown in the open ground, but you can keep them in pots for 4-5 years; they are not transplanted into new pots. Some species are used for decorative purposes, others are grown, of course, for edible berries. Plants prefer moist, acidic (preferably peaty) soils, and liming should be avoided. They are planted in the ground in autumn (in a moderately cold climate) or in spring. When growing in pots, use soil consisting of 1/3 of peat, 1/3 of fertile land and 1/3 of sand with the addition of a complex fertilizer at the rate of 30 g per bucket of soil. When growing both in the open ground and in pots 2-3 times during the spring-summer period, liquid top dressing is carried out with a complex fertilizer in the amount of 10-20 g per bucket. Some species (for example, V. corymbosum) are pruned after fruiting.

Usually these plants are grown in the open ground, but you can keep them in pots for 4-5 years; they are not transplanted into new pots. Some species are used for decorative purposes, others are grown, of course, for edible berries. Plants prefer moist, acidic (preferably peaty) soils, and liming should be avoided. They are planted in the ground in autumn (in a moderately cold climate) or in spring.

When growing in pots, use soil consisting of 1/3 of peat, 1/3 of fertile land and 1/3 of sand with the addition of a complex fertilizer at the rate of 30 g per bucket of soil. When growing both in the open ground and in pots 2-3 times during the spring-summer period, liquid top dressing is carried out with a complex fertilizer in the amount of 10-20 g per bucket. Some species (for example, V. corymbosum) are pruned after fruiting.

Location

Plants can be planted both in the open sun and in partial shade.

Temperature

Among the widely grown species, there are both extremely resistant (common blueberries) and sensitive to temperature fluctuations (coin-shaped blueberries), which usually do not tolerate a drop to 0-5 °C (depending on the humidity level).

Watering

The ground should always be slightly moist, but well drained. Therefore, irrigation is required only when the soil dries up and during periods of prolonged drought.

Reproduction

In natural conditions, blueberries and lingonberries are propagated mainly by rhizomes; blueberries by seeds. In culture, blueberries can be propagated in layers. In September, make an incision on the underside of the shoot, dig in, and separate the new plant from the mother plant in a year, in autumn or spring. It can also be propagated by semi-woody cuttings, which are taken in late spring and planted to form roots in a soil consisting of peat (2/3) and sand (1/3). As soon as the roots appear, cuttings are immediately transplanted into pots one at a time in the ground from fertile land (40%), peat (40%) and sand (20%). Seedlings are kept in a closed, unheated room until autumn, and then grown outdoors for 2-3 years before they are finally planted.

In natural conditions, blueberries and lingonberries are propagated mainly by rhizomes; blueberries by seeds. In culture, blueberries can be propagated in layers. In September, make an incision on the underside of the shoot, dig in, and separate the new plant from the mother plant in a year, in autumn or spring. It can also be propagated by semi-woody cuttings, which are taken in late spring and planted to form roots in a soil consisting of peat (2/3) and sand (1/3). As soon as the roots appear, cuttings are immediately transplanted into pots one at a time in the ground from fertile land (40%), peat (40%) and sand (20%). Seedlings are kept in a closed, unheated room until autumn, and then grown outdoors for 2-3 years before they are finally planted.

Diseases

When grown in unsuitable soil conditions, these plants can develop chlorosis with yellowing leaves and growth difficulties. Carefully select the soil, making the treatment with iron chelate (spraying on the leaves, as well as applying to the soil). Root rot is also associated with unsuitable soil (this can be prevented by providing good drainage) and excess water (watering is temporarily stopped). There is powdery mildew of grapes (whitish mold covering the leaves), which is eliminated with the help of anti-oidium drugs or sulfur-containing drugs.

Acquisition

Seedlings are easily found in gardening centers and specialized nurseries. Choose views according to their intended use. Make sure that the plants are healthy.